Saline Valley

Among the desert valleys in the State, Saline Valley is probably the most unusual. It is deep, with its lowest outlet 1,190 meters (3,900 feet) above its floor. Roughly oval in shape, its length is some 45 kilometers (28 miles) and its maximum width is 13 kilometers (8 miles). On the west it is flanked by the pinkish granitic escarpment of the Inyo Mountains. With a rise of 1,650 meters (5,400 feet) above the valley floor in 3 kilometers (2 miles) and over 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) in 9.5 kilometers (6 miles), this rivals the famed Sierra escarpment. At the southern end, the valley is bordered by the almost as steeply sloped Nelson Mountains, and on the east by the Panamints, which here are quite steep. On the north lies the volcanic Saline Range.

In these mountains can be found rocks representing metamorphic, sedimentary and intrusive and extrusive igneous types ranging in age from the Precambrian to the Pleistocene. The valley floor is Pleistocene alluvium. Essentially, the valley is a miniature rift valley. In the central portion on the west side there is a small, shallow lake, Salt Lake. It is bordered on the westerly side by a salt marsh and to the east and north by a flat that becomes almost pure (98.54%) salt (NaCl).

Further north there is a low, 20 - 30 meter (65 - 100 foot) but well-developed sand dune system covering about 12 square kilometers (5 square miles). There are several warm springs (43°– 46° C, 109° –115° F), as well as cold springs, two of which give rise to short, perennial streams, Willow Creek and Hunter Canyon Creek.

On the floor of the valley the vegetation is predominantly creosote bush scrub; however, on the higher elevations of the bajadas the Larrea tridentata becomes less dominant. By the salt lake and near the dunes are stands of mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana and Prosopis pubescens. Large stands of arrowweed, Pluchea sericea, with an understory of salt grass, Distichlis spicata var. stricta, are found on the areas above the lake. Only the most salt-tolerant plants, such as Juncus cooperi and Allenrolfea occidentalis, live near the salt-encrusted sink. Rushes are abundant in the salt marsh and there is a large colony of Anemopsis californica.

Along the creeks the lush riparian vegetation is in striking contrast to the desert and contains such species as red columbine, Aquilegia shockleyi, maidenhair fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris, and sticky-ring, Boerhaavia annulata. Two rare plants, Hazardia brickellioides and Phacelia amabilis, occur on the west side of the valley; the latter is known from only this area. Though the Inyo escarpment is sparsely vegetated, the slopes of the other ranges support a comparatively greater variety of annuals and shrubs.

Oases created by the permanent water support a substantial fauna including a variety of reptiles and insects and numerous migratory birds. The desert bighorn, Ovis canadensis, is found here.

In the valley are a number of petroglyphs, pictographs and other archaeological sites.

Integrity: There are a number of mines and jeep trails. Off-road-vehicle damage has taken its toll, as have feral burros. A part of the marsh is being developed for recreational purposes. Nevertheless, this is perhaps the most pristine desert in the State and should be fully protected.

Use: Educational, research, observational, light recreational.

January 1976